Chapter 608: Dumbledore's Expulsion
Chapter 608: Dumbledore's Expulsion
In the days following the start of term, a strange atmosphere loomed over the castle. The most noticeable sign was the increased number of owls delivering mail during breakfast, bringing a constant stream of letters.
Usually, at this time of year, students were still buzzing with excitement from their holidays, eagerly catching up with friends and filling the Great Hall with lively chatter. But now, everyone was preoccupied with reading and replying to letters, leaving little room for casual conversation. One might think an important exam was looming tomorrow, given the solemn atmosphere.
This change in mood had persisted since the start of term.
"My mom keeps asking about the situation at school," Justin Finch-Fletchley muttered one morning, tossing aside a half-read letter. "She's sent me five letters already, and so has my dad. They seem to think there's a maniac roaming the castle, ready to strike at any moment."
"And they're not wrong, are they?" Zacharias Smith chimed in. "With the senile Dumbledore and that prankster Harry Potter trying to grab everyone's attention..."
He had just finished penning a brief reply and was slipping it into the owl's claw beside him.
"A renowned headmaster, stooping to the level of a fraud, is certainly cause for concern," Zacharias continued.
"I don't believe Professor Dumbledore would do such a thing," Ernie Macmillan murmured.
Though he shared Finch-Fletchley's sentiments and chose to trust Dumbledore, he didn't press the matter further, given their classmates' differing opinions.
"In fact, after reading the Prophet, my family is hesitant about me continuing my education here..." Finch-Fletchley added. "Of course, I'm still here. I didn't want to give up magic. But now, I have to write to them every day to assure them of my safety."
"That must be tedious," Zacharias said.
Ernie remained silent, but that didn't stop others from voicing their opinions.
"If you're that worried, you might as well stay at home," Mickle shouted out in exasperation. "That way, you'd be much safer, and you'd save yourself the cost of a piece of parchment every day."
"I don't mind spending a little money on parchment," Zacharias retorted. "And why should I let two frauds disrupt my education? It's them who should be expelled, not us."
"Dumbledore is not a fraud," Ryan said firmly. "He's the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen. My family and I stand by him."
"Me too," added Mickle.
"Suit yourselves," Zacharias shrugged. "The Prophet has made it clear what's going on. If you choose to remain blind to the truth, there's nothing I can do about it."
"You're the one who's blind if you choose to believe the Prophet," Mickle shot back. "That rag of a newspaper is despicable for even doubting Dumbledore."
"Regardless," Zacharias said, pushing his empty plate forward and straightening up, "if you want me to believe it, they'd better come up with solid evidence that the Dark Lord has truly returned. Until then, I'm more inclined to trust the Prophet."
"Oh, and by the way," he added as he got up to leave the Great Hall, "your beloved Dumbledore has been expelled from the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards for losing his marbles."
An awkward silence fell over the group, each student exchanging glances, unsure of what to say.
"It's normal for some people not to believe," Justin Finch-Fletchley said, attempting to ease the tension.
"Who cares what he believes anyway," Susan Bones scoffed. "Whoever decided to expel Professor Dumbledore will surely regret it!"
"You're absolutely right," came a voice from behind them.
Not far away, Cedric, who had overheard their entire conversation, frowned and said, "The Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards... How could they expel Professor Dumbledore? It's impossible..."
"Actually, it's true."
Kyle looked at the copy of the Prophet in his hand.
On the front page, it clearly stated that Dumbledore had indeed been expelled.
The article mocked Dumbledore as a senile old man who deserved his expulsion.
It was evident that while a portion of the population trusted Dumbledore unconditionally, many more, like Fudge, were reluctant to believe in Voldemort's return.
Kyle recalled the meeting at the Hog's Head pub during the holidays, where the turnout had been relatively low, with only around thirty attendees.
Taking advantage of their numbers, they had voted to expel Dumbledore.
The International Confederation of Wizards had expelled Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard... Kyle had to admit that this was the first time he had witnessed such a fantastical turn of events.
However, Dumbledore seemed to have anticipated this outcome, as evidenced by his words at the end of the start-of-term feast...
"The mysterious person is adept at creating conflict and enmity, and we must respond with an equally unbreakable show of friendship and trust..."
Perhaps, Voldemort's goal had been to drive a wedge between Dumbledore and the majority of the wizarding community, as a divided magical world would be easier for him to manipulate.
As long as he remained in the shadows, such misunderstandings would persist.
Of course, there was another possibility—that Dumbledore had intentionally allowed himself to be expelled.
According to the newspaper, the vote in the Wizengamot had been close, 19-21, indicating that the proposal to expel Dumbledore had barely passed by a margin of two votes.
To Kyle's knowledge, the Wizengamot consisted of fifty members with voting rights, yet only forty had cast their votes.
What had happened to the remaining ten?
Had they abstained, or had they not participated at all?
The same seemed to be true for the International Confederation of Wizards, where the vote had also fallen short of the required number, passing by a mere two votes.
If this was indeed intentional on Dumbledore's part, Kyle couldn't fathom the reason behind it. Was it to lull Voldemort into a false sense of security, or did Dumbledore have some other plan in mind?
Kyle shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it further. Instead, he picked up a nearby letter.
It was from the Wizengamot, and it probably contained the only good news he would receive today.
The letter concerned Lucius, Karkaroff, Macnair, and Umbridge, and informed him that the petitions regarding their cases had concluded.
The two parchment sheets briefly stated that Lucius and the others had voluntarily dropped the charges against themselves the previous day.
The progress of the case was much faster than Kyle had anticipated.
The investigation into Barty Crouch had taken almost half a year, but this one had wrapped up in just a few days.
As for the outcome... The letter mentioned that Lucius and the others would issue a public apology in the newspaper and had also been fined.
However, Umbridge faced no punishment. According to the letter, she claimed she had been misled and was let off without any consequences.
Kyle felt that the whole thing reeked of a cover-up.
However...
He glanced at the name specifically mentioned in the letter—Fudge. Well, that made sense.
"Who knows what else will happen," Cedric sighed. "What if the school board also believes the Prophet? I don't want to see anyone but Professor Dumbledore as the headmaster in my seventh year."
"Don't worry about that," Kyle said. "The one position Dumbledore will never give up is that of the headmaster of Hogwarts."
(End of Chapter)
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